THE N W YORKER least, since the thirties-was Left Wing, and he had been a patron saint of the politically conscious university. His beliefs were reasoned, and he was emotionally committed to his ideas-a rare thing for an Oxford phIlosopher- and because his convictions were a mat- ter of the heart as well as of the head, he had the rare ability to electrify clubs and societies. He might share his politics with Ayer, but Ayer had only recently returned to Oxford; besides, Ayer's So- cialism was perhaps a little remote. I asked John what he recalled about Hampshire. ",^T ell," he saId, "as you probahly know, he was a star pupil at his school-Repton-and was very much under the influence of one of its mas- ters. Hampshire Inherited his liberal principles from his mentor. Sometime in the early thirties, he came up to Bal- liol, where he fortified his Leftist views with wider reading. The last year of the war found him in the Foreign Of- fice, and they didn't know what to make of him, because he used to start discussions b) saying, 'The first thing to do is to find out if our foreign policy is Socialistic.' Hampshire claimed he started doing philosophy because he Eked to argue, hut in fact he avoided philosophical arguments." Leaving John, I taxied to University College (this time, of London U niver- sity), and found Professor Hampshire standing on the steps of the building w here he had his office. His hands were clasped rather boyishly behind his back, and his curly blond hair was flying in the wind. "Hello! " he called. "I've just locked myself out of the office." He looked at me expectantly, as thougb I might have brought him the key. Tak- ing hold of the handle of the door, he shook it vigorously and waited in vain for it to spring open. "1 like the Oxford system of not locking Joors," he said. "This sort of thing would never have happened to me there. There isn't a pub for some stretch." Nevertheless, we started in search of one. We came upon a Lyons Corner House, and ducked in for some tea, because Hampshire was thirsty. Sitting down, he surveyed the lTIotley tea drInkers in the room and said, "This is what I like about L,)n- don. You always feel close to the people." But the clatter and nOISe of Hampshire's people were so deafening that we were soon driven out. We finally spotted a pub. When we had settled down in it, I asked hIm about his latest book, "Thought and Action." "I'm not very good at summing up " h O d " B my own arguments, e saI. ut my view of philosophy couldn't be further 143 OUR FUTURE SECRETARY OF STATE* GOES ON RECORD FOR THE SECOND TIME! (and he's funnier than ever) .:::- :r ". '. , ' ::,' {' . , .., ':',:,"-<. , . .:\} . :.....;. #/ " '. ":' .::::: : ;::: :> :.l i iV ,:!::f::" ..;; :i:;:: :.: , ',' , :;:;:;:: ::;:m: .'. ..', "%> ::: : ""i, :'l :' ";. :: {..:.. t.. < ..::" -:. .:: ").... " ,.'...st< ,'. :, 4:: "'" , ' ' .' s'" . -it.,... ...:.::..;- ,..., ' r' , .:<<. ''f.'' : . '*- : '*' "'*' -$ it ,V\I,.; t.- .. N........ .:.. .:: f. .. ' :/: iír" l' <-%" "y' ":'''W'''''' --: 'V " : t, " ,.. '< Æ';: -<M. '-1&f.: ;;"9 '- .;:1( '),p.s, --- e CP4aO I 1 - "4... . If"',?((' y '. , " ;t A' - ,,Ç; -=; . , ., 1 : ',J 7 '. a s ',, ,l_ . · " ,_ '" &' " ".' ;.',.)J.' '\7 r "- K ,:.. w ; ,*. i . J, e . . h. r' 1:: {':" t . ' N> .:: :":: ""* .t ';-' / ... ::: .i-.. NO.-.' ..... - ... : '. <- :: " :I -iØ '",. '% ,- ,,' ;'" %/ 4 t .. < '! :?: < * * "" ' '" : .. 't" "'v -of." ;:"'f.' . ;,<<" 1-. :-'< .:', .. .:-;..y ... .. """... -st<- " y : ?:: . 1'" t J(" '. :' :. g ' '"*.: "'*' ' ......' ., :w " ",,',' ;,: " . ... í I ::: .. \,: *"The Will Rogers of the atomic age. . . Dick Gregory would make a dandy Secretary of State! " Robert Ruark, noted columnist and author. Have you missed Dick Gregory's first launch'lng from the laugh frontier? It's DICK GREGORY IN LIVING BLACK AND WHITE." Buy them both! D! ) JttE&bhl i i> HI'" , o '+ BLICK 1!t ) :: A OIVISION OF COLUMBIA PICTURES CORP